The truth about controlling human scent for hunting

Nestled safely just 12 feet up a lonely, limbless poplar, the sun had yet to rise, but the woods were very much awake. Gray squirrels blasted their way through a blanket of dry oak leaves on the hillside to my left. A gentle breeze pushed at my face, and a shiver reminded me I really should have worn that extra layer.

Then right on cue, I heard the unmistakable, rhythmic cadence of deer crunching their way toward me through the oaks. A big doe led the way with her spotted lamb in tow.

Expanded archery or not, does with lambs were off limits to me. But then, a yearling doe raced in from behind to catch up. I readied for a shot as they closed the distance to less than 10 yards, needing them to clear just a few more trees.

The wind was perfect. They were oblivious to my presence, and I began to put tension on the string. But then, with her nose to the ground, the big doe froze the moment she hit my trail in. She snapped her head up, backpedaled quickly, whirled, blew and bounded off well out of range, taking the lamb and yearling with her while I was left scratching my head.

Clearly the doe smelled something she didn’t like, but what? My tracks? Maybe a limb, leaf or bush I had brushed up against? Whatever it was left no doubt in her mind that it was time to scram.

What left me confused and frustrated was that I had taken every precaution to make sure I was “scent free.” I’d used odor-eliminating body wash, shampoo and deodorant. My hunting clothes, including base layers, socks, face mask, gloves, hat, small backpack and even the towel I used to dry off with had all been washed in scent free, odor-eliminating laundry detergent, then hung outside for days.

I’d thoroughly sprayed my equipment and Lacrosse rubber boots with odor-eliminating spray. I even waited until I got out of my truck to fully dress and put on my boots before the hunt.

Despite that and a perfect wind, it only took that old doe about three seconds to go on full alert.

I play this game every year from the first day of bear season to the last day of deer season. Honestly, it’s extremely tedious, time-consuming, expensive and frustrating. But I always make sure to give it my best effort.

Scent control has become an unwelcomed obsession of mine, resulting in elevated stress and anxiety levels during the hunting seasons. It’s gotten so bad at times that I’ve actually talked myself down out of a treestand if I think my scent control game isn’t spot on, or if the wind isn’t absolutely perfect.

And I’ve also been known to rewash my hunting clothes and gear in between morning and afternoon hunts.

But when it comes to trying to fool a game animal’s nose, we are at the disadvantage. Wild animals spend every moment of their lives just trying to survive. Each sense is constantly working overtime to identify and assess everything in their surroundings.

Most of us spend a handful or so of days each season in their world. Believing we can slip in with a bit of knowledge and a few store-bought tricks and expect to outwit Mother Nature is a pipedream at best.

That said, does using odor eliminating products hurt anything? Certainly not. Do they offer a failsafe advantage? Certainly not. Do they work? I think so, but mostly they give us confidence and optimism, which are essential to keeping us in the treestand or blind.

There’s no magic soap, detergent, powder, spray or potion that can eliminate human scent. There are just too many biological and chemical factors to overcome. Our skin is covered in natural bacteria, which constantly mixes with sweat, oils and other secretions, producing odor.

We also emit odor through our breath and from our hair. Diet or hormone changes can affect body odors too. And since we haven’t found a way to interrupt the human body’s natural production of odor, we can only hope to mask it, which certain products accomplish surprisingly well.

It’s far more important to have a solid understanding of wind direction, currents, thermals and how variables such as temperature, humidity and barometric pressure affect scent dispersal in hunting situations rather than relying on odor-eliminating products.

But sometimes, no matter how hard you try, big old does make you look like a smelly, camouflaged fool in a tree.